When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Last table is "within country Sales", meaning Japan domestic. So if we subtract those figures from total production we get the pattern for export targeted production only.
Note 1998 had less than 1500 production, which might qualify the 1998 for Canadian collector car status in some Provinces. However, cars actually designated as 1998 models were also produced in 1997, bringing 1998 models to probably closer to 2000 (maybe less than 100 version 5 - 1999) were made at the end of 1998. Not settled which figures Canadian authorities would accept.
I imagine that UK, Commonwealth and other RHD countries will have their own VIN prefix(es)
Actually in Cyprus we use the JDM VIN numbering format ie FD3SXXXXXX. Of course it depends from where the car was imported.
Great info, thanks!
As in, all the FDs in Cyprus were private imports from Japan, or were they officially sold new through Mazda? I imagine private imports make sense considering the small size of the market and RHD unlike most of the European neighbours.
PS. where about are you in Cyprus? My father is originally from Karpasia, but our family is now spread all of the world. Those that stayed in Cyprus are mostly in Larnaka and Lemesos. It has been 10 years now since I was last there unfortunately. I did manage to see a few nice FDs on the last occasion. I will need to go back again once my kids are a little older.
the US spec FD's were produced from 12/28/1991 (first actual sold production car*) to 12/1995.
the US FD models were 1993, 1994 and 1995 model years, by the Vin, P, R, and S.
the first unusual bit is how early the 1993 model year started, in fact there were no 1993 model year FD's made in 1993.
the second unusual part is that they made 1995 models all the way to December. ordinarily, a new model year production starts around August, and goes to about June, if its a new model, it can start earlier but the FD is rather exceptional.
the other quirk, and i should look into this is that between models, sometimes a model year gets skipped, we didn't get a 1985 truck, nor did we get an 98 miata.
so no series or version here! (even though the FD is 200xxx for 93, 30xxxx for 94 and 400xxx for 95), so its there, we just don't use it.
*there were others before this one, i've even seen one, but they were not sold, so no warranty history, so no information
I was once told that we might find a members' VIN list thread on here. I have not found it yet. Maybe in archives? Do you recall such a list?
I'd like to find evidence of a Canadian VIN fitting in sequence between US VIN. Rather than the Canadian cars having their own sequence.
i didn't work from a list, i just started with JM1FD331XP0200001 and went from there. then i realized that was going to be WAY to much work, so then went to JM1FD333XS0400001
there are 523 1995s and 13,000 1993s, so the 1993 was too big a project
I saw somewhere that perhaps 250 cars went to Greece originally. Perhaps some of those found there way to Cypress. I also saw some picks which looked like a meet of FD owners. Almost all the cars looked like Series 8 (or imitation Series 8) which I would assume to be recent imports.
I saw somewhere that perhaps 250 cars went to Greece originally. Perhaps some of those found there way to Cypress. I also saw some picks which looked like a meet of FD owners. Almost all the cars looked like Series 8 (or imitation Series 8) which I would assume to be recent imports.
Greece like most of continental Europe is LHD. Cyprus being a former British colony is RHD.
As in, all the FDs in Cyprus were private imports from Japan, or were they officially sold new through Mazda? I imagine private imports make sense considering the small size of the market and RHD unlike most of the European neighbours.
PS. where about are you in Cyprus? My father is originally from Karpasia, but our family is now spread all of the world. Those that stayed in Cyprus are mostly in Larnaka and Lemesos. It has been 10 years now since I was last there unfortunately. I did manage to see a few nice FDs on the last occasion. I will need to go back again once my kids are a little older.
I would speculate there are 80-90 Rx7 FD3S in Cyprus, not bad for a small island. You are correct, most of them are private imports, hitherto I have only heard of 2 FDs sold through the Cyprus Mazda dealership.
Kypreo = Cypriot, yup, it does resemble to your origin
Ten years ago it was the peak for the Rx7 scene. After 2008 the financial crises taken its toll on them, many are neglected unfortunately. You can still find great examples though.
I saw somewhere that perhaps 250 cars went to Greece originally. Perhaps some of those found there way to Cypress. I also saw some picks which looked like a meet of FD owners. Almost all the cars looked like Series 8 (or imitation Series 8) which I would assume to be recent imports.
The vast majority of the FDs here are Japanese imports and all of them (as far as I know) are RHD. Indeed, many of them are versions V and VI. To the best of my knowledge there are 3 Spirit R Type A and 2 Type B, 2 2000 RZ and 2 R-Bathurst-R. However, in Australia there are way more Spirit R FDs and series 8 FDs in general
Last edited by Carpe_Diem_7; Feb 21, 2017 at 11:20 AM.
Reason: Correction
the build date has to be known to be imported to the US as the law is written 25 years old to the month. Unless importers are knowingly/unknowingly giving out cars with the register date as you mentioned.
the build date has to be known to be imported to the US as the law is written 25 years old to the month. Unless importers are knowingly/unknowingly giving out cars with the register date as you mentioned.
Don't know what I need to say here. The answer is in the first post, I have no knowledge of where that information on that Russian site came from or if it is accurate, or if we will be indicted for clicking on a Russian link. (/infers sarcasm)
Your Japanese title is king when importing, and what ever your Japanese title says for year and month is what they use, the systems do not translate see above for why. Logic dictates that it cannot be inspected and registered before it is manufactured, so that is accepted as "manufacture date" as it is not published in Japan.
LOL. He meant as in the pic is you waiting on that link and it being posted 2 years later. I just found the thread due to you posting elsewhere and found it interesting. So are you inferring that I or anybody could have a car that was built earlier than what is listed on the title or that website?
LOL. He meant as in the pic is you waiting on that link and it being posted 2 years later. I just found the thread due to you posting elsewhere and found it interesting. So are you inferring that I or anybody could have a car that was built earlier than what is listed on the title or that website?
Nothing is inferred, there are no exceptions in this process. The date on your Japanese documents is the initial registration date, so unless they got it to the customer and registered on the same day, it is all but assured that the manufacture date is not listed on your title. Customs does not care what that russian website says, they go off the Japanese title.
Last edited by laujesse; Jan 29, 2019 at 07:14 AM.
In Japanese magazines I have frequently seen parts listed with a Roman numeral to designate what models a part fits. For example, if a part is for a '93-95 car, they would show FD3S (I-III). Note those are the letter 'I". This is really good to know for ordering parts and checking compatibility as Jesse stated.
In the US for ages we used generation - 1st gen, 2nd gen, 3rd gen. The old RX-7 mailing list used that exclusively. Also, old Rotary Rocket magazines from the old RX-7 Club of America would use the "generation" nomenclature. It was very common back in the day in the US market.
The Series designations is very much an Australian thing. For the 2nd gen RX-7, using S4/S5 is very common to refer to 86-88 and 89-91 cars. There was a FC-only mailing list back in the day (TeamFC3S) which I was very active on and I remember the S4/S5 designation becoming a popular shorthand. It definitely originated from the Aussies. You don't see that used as much on the FD.
Somewhere in the early '00s when the forum started getting more popular and the old lists started to die off (( think the forum started about 2001 or 2002) the use of FB/FC/FD started to get more popular. Again, it's shorthand and easier to type than 3rd Gen. I think some of the Japanese influence helped make it popular.
Yow!
